The sad truth is that anything “unique” or that has a style all it’s own sits unsold on dealer lots. If it even makes it to the dealership. Most OEMs understand that the best selling thing is the one that was styled to be the least offending, catering to the highest number of people who crave bland and then say it is…

If - and we know that many do not fit the demographic - you are single or a couple without kids, the 500 is great. What people don’t understand is that the packaging is really based on the interior out, with fairly high seating position and lots of glass, which makes it feel bigger inside. Almost no overhang front or…

Perhaps they care about the Certified Pre-Owned market, but not for the used market in general. This will affect CPO cars in the Lexus dealerships, and those will be a bit of an embarrassment, but overall, Toyota does not care - as noted, they sell new product, not used. This will make a lot of models either not CPO…

A big problem is that due to the backlog, the OEMs revenue went down, but dealers used this lack of inventory to upend the idea of paying less than sticker price for a vehicle, which makes it so the only people buying are those who need a new car, not just want one. Big difference. When you need a new car, you buy…

Florida has no such law, and the dealership that I worked at for a few months actually was open on Easter Sunday, and had exactly no customers show that day. 

Simple solution: Have James Cordon spend time with Ellen Degeneres.

Check your pricing, the Yugo was under $4k, not $6K. And even back then, it was the cheapest car available. Just as the Mirage is today, and the same things apply. New or used? Is cheap new better, or is buying a used car just taking over someone else’s problem? That’s the main issue, a warranty. Not reliability, a…

5th Gear: Shit or get off the pot

The use of child labor in the automotive industry is just another instance of companies going around labor laws as it suits their (cost controlling) needs. Do you really think that all the people plucking chickens in factories, sewing pre-cut fabric pieces together to keep a ‘Made In USA” tag on clothing, or doing a…

Totally agree. People have been sold the idea that a pickup is a good choice for a commuter/daily driver/family hauler. Maybe it does all those things, but the simple fact is that a BOF truck is cheaper and easier to build, yet commands a higher profit margin for both OEMs and dealers. It is a lifestyle symbol for…

Trade shows are for the trade, not mass retail. (Well, at least most trade shows.) If you were to have Auto shows where there were just commercial buyers (fleet purchasers, etc.), then it might make more sense, as it would be pushing solutions to a potential customer rather than showcasing an entire line of vehicles…

If it helps speed up my receiving my order, great.

If only. This would be the simplest way to deal with it all, and it all falls back to the consumer’s wallet over their desires.

Two things: first, the people in Naples thought it would go north into Tampa up until about a day prior. Two, arranging for a car was probably the least of the worries of this guy.

Well, have you ever actually driven one? From the weird ideas in your post, I guess not. Like those who drive a motorcycle over a car, some people enjoy the surroundings, others like being surrounded by the interior. I wouldn’t drive a roadster (technically a car without any convertible roof, no fixed windows, etc.)…

Safety concerns - mostly the ones regarding rollover protection that even now do not exist - had a lot to do with manufacturers killing off a lot of convertible models. But the main reason there are less convertible sales is that there are less convertible models available. When you don’t offer something, it obviously…

This extends to life, not just car culture.

The issue with nukes is that it does not take the will of the people to use them, just one set of military folks willing to enter the codes and watch the world burn. So far, we had one close call that was only decided when a Russian officer in 1983 figured out that a false alarm had occurred, and did not launch as was…

Sadly, you are correct. And the events are more probable than not.

I believe the correct name for that item is “high velocity impact resonator”.